A fight between dogs at the Greenbank Farm dog park turned into a crime when the owners joined in the fray and one man ended up with a broken arm, court documents indicate.

Chad Hallett, a 64-year-old Clinton resident, pleaded not guilty in Island County Superior Court Oct. 13 to a single, felony count of second-degree assault.

According to a report by Deputy Frank Gomez with the Island County Sheriff’s Office, he investigated a report of an assault at the dog park Aug. 1. The alleged victim was at Whidbey General Hospital with a broken arm, the report indicates.

About six days later, Gomez tracked down a man, later identified as Hallett, who matched the description of the alleged assailant.

In an interview with Gomez, Hallett admitted getting into a fight with another man at the dog park, but he claimed he was acting in self defense. Hallett said the man got upset over how their dogs were “playing” together and threatened to kill his dogs, then spat in Hallett’s face and pushed him.

Hallett said he pushed the man back and the man fell on the ground, hurting his arm, the report states. Gomez noted that Hallett didn’t have any visible injuries.

If convicted of the charge, Hallett could face from three to nine months in jail.